The Azimio La Umoja convention at Kasarani was a glorious moment for ODM leader Raila Odinga.
It was a culmination of a well-calculated strategy to have the people demand for his presidential candidature in 2022. When the BBI process was stalled by the courts, Raila quickly turned the national conversation into his project.
It was no longer a government project but his State House quest special purpose vehicle. Whereas in BBI he shared responsibility with president Uhuru Kenyatta, in Azimio la Umoja, he took credit for the entire process and outcome. He retained the Jubilee side of the BBI brigade and continued to attract more. The movement became the symbol of national unity platform.
Underneath the campaigns was the unstated objective of making the regional forums opportunities for delegates to demand for Raila to stand in the next general election.
After the handshake with the President in March, 2018 Raila kept pundits guessing on his next political move. He would neither confirm nor deny that he would stand for the fifth time seeking the presidency in 2022. His steps however betrayed his concealment. He became the clear target of political barbs from the deputy president, William Ruto.
The newly launched UDA leadership found in Raila their antithesis. However, the journey by Raila gained considerable traction as the days rolled by. The Mt Kenya region has previously voted against Raila’s candidacy. Their leaders have consistently mobilised the voters with anti-Raila messages.
The propaganda was so strong that the leaders have had to come to painstakingly explain that it was politically expedient to do so for the sake of controlling the votes. With a sizable chunk of the Central Kenya leaders trooping into the Raila fold, the masses begun to warm to the ODM boss.
The public rallies that followed the Azimio la Umoja town hall forums filled with enthusiastic youths and people of all ages. The support from the Central and Northeastern regions proved pivotal in Raila’s stab at the presidency. It is only in these two regions that he has never quite commanded a comfortable support.
In this path for political renewal Raila has demonstrated a rare quality of courage and consistency. He was not apologetic to be working closely with the president and government officials. He still was able to delink his political activities with the government agenda.
He, therefore, got applauded for government success without sharing the responsibility of its failures. He cut the image of statesmanship and rose above the rest of the politicians in his national unity project.
While his competitors for the coveted post of the presidency rushed to declare the candidatures, he maintained stoic posture befitting a commanding general. He won new and many more regional kingpins to his side.
In a country where politics is regional, he set himself apart by pushing a political engagement of partnerships through alliances. This was in contrast to the other candidates who pushed an assimilation approach. In each of the regional forum, the delegates identified their peoples’ development priority areas.
These became the regional resolutions which later were the principles of partnerships with Raila. In spite of the fact that he is senior to these regional political leaders, he chose the path of negotiated partnerships with admirable humility. This enabled him to drop the tag of arrogant and irritable politician.
Instead, he built the image of accommodative and empathetic father figure of all Kenyans. The Mt Kenya region felt a little more comfortable with Raila. His co-principals in the now-defunct NASA had hoped to reap from his support bases. Their attempt to force Raila’s hand into endorsing one of them failed flat. They then made the tactical error of abandoning Raila and establishing parallel outfits.
Raila demonstrated seniority of rank by accepting to attend their respective parties’ delegates conferences. They closed every avenue of building any future political alliance with Raila when they refused to attend the Kasarani event. It is doubtful that any of them would mobilize the crowd seen at Kasarani. They have handed Gideon Moi the envious opportunity of political partnership with ODM together with whatever is left of Jubilee party. The young Moi shared the limelight with Raila as he openly received endorsement from the delegates.
In building the new alliances, the ODM leader has continued to maintain his older lieutenants under his political tent. Though not all have agreed to remain in his homestead. Those who have chosen to bolt out and build their respective outfits have not been as successful.
The notable ones being governors Amason Kingi and Josephat Nanok of Kilifi and Turkana respectively. Kingi has not registered significant results in his Pamoja African Alliance Party. Nanok, on the other hand, is not as luminous in UDA under the deputy president as he was in ODM under Raila.
Their absence has been overshadowed by the numerous new entrants into the new ODM coalition. Further, Raila has designed new messaging strategies that have proved attractive to the youth and women. The traditionally hostile regions of the mountain have warmed up to his candidacy.
The owners of capital have embraced him as the guarantor of economic stability. Raila has unmatched history in promoting democracy and protection of human rights. For his struggles to champion citizen liberties, he has paid the price of being the longest living political detainee.
None of the current political leaders has gone through the painful experiences of Raila. He is also the oldest contestant for the presidency. In his long and illustrious political journey, he has been Agwambo, Enigma and Jakom. Eventually he simply became Baba.
His ability to put the interest of the nation above his has earned him a position above his peers. The Azimio La Umoja movement has helped cement his passion for national unity. His push equitable opportunity for national development is unrivaled. Therefore, in unanimity the delegates at Kasarani on December 10 responded to Gideon Moi’s question of “In whose hands Kenya would be safe?” with a resounding Bab!
Raila has earned the status of “Baba wa Taifa” the journey has been long and tortuous but tittle is well deserved.
